Alex was invited by the Indian High Commissioner to be the guest of honour at a reception to mark the 75th anniversary of the India's Republic Day.
Republic Day occurred on 26 January 1950 and marked India's formal break with Britain.
In his speech, Alex reflected on the time he spent living and teaching in India:
“I think of myself as a warm friend of India. Having spent a formative part of my life in Uttar Pradesh, I was delighted to go back to that beautiful state last February to speak at the Global Investment Summit alongside chief minister Yogi Adityanath. And it brought back so many memories of my experiences working as a teacher there 25 years ago, which continues to influence me even today.
“But what stays with me principally is the warmth, the generosity and the sheer energy of the people I lived alongside in India.